WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – The 2014 World Pork Expo is a showcase of the pork industry, coming up June 4-6 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
There’s a trade show with cutting edge tech, opportunities to network with producers and exhibitors from all over the world, and educational programs with emphasis this year on Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv).
It’s tough to overstate just how serious PEDv is; Cambridge farmer and National Pork Producers Council President Dr. Howard Hill estimates PEDv has killed about 7 million hogs in 30 states since last spring.
He says making sure the disease doesn’t spread at an event like the World Pork Expo, which features live hogs, is a priority.
“We have taken some additional precautions,” says Hill. “The National Swine Registry, which really runs the live show, they’ve put some new restrictions on the animals that they’re going to be able to exhibit. They can’t be exhibiting any clinical signs for a period of time prior to the show.”
For producers coming to the World Pork Expo who won’t necessarily be at the live show, Hill says biosecurity boils down to common sense.
“You know, when you come to a show,” Hill says, “don’t wear the clothes and the boots that you’re going to wear around your farm. When you go back to your place, make sure those don’t go to the farm. Just use good, common sense.”
The National Pork Board suggests live pig exhibitors isolate returning pigs once they’re back on the farm, and to take care to wash, disinfect and dry equipment.
